A known CPA is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,204. This known connector device provides electrical terminals having matable male and female connector halves, one of which has a resilient, extended lock arm means that will lock behind a lock bar of a sized window of the complementary connector half. When the two connector halves are mated, a CPA and an assist device are inserted axially along a track slot. The CPA device includes releasable, resilient lock tab means to retain it in operative engagement with the connectors. This known CPA device provides a means of assuring that the male and female connectors have been fully mated. However, this known device is not readily adaptable to plug housings which include a deflectable latching arm that the operator deflects with his hand or finger. Moreover, once the CPA is fully advanced into its final position, the operator must use a tool to deflect a latching section of the CPA so that the connector halves can be separated.
Another known CPA device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,865. This known connector has a coupling detecting function which includes an electrical circuit between coupling-detecting electrical contact elements. The connector includes a resilient locking arm, and a cooperable engaging element, which are provided on first and second housings, respectively. A short-circuiting contact element is secured to the engaging element. When the two housings are coupled together, the coupling-detecting contact elements are urged to electrically contact the shorting-circuiting element for the purpose of indicating an electrical connection, thereby indicating complete coupling of the mating halves. This known CPA provides a way of assuring that two matable connector halves have been fully mated; however, it requires an electrical circuit within the latching member so that complete coupling of the matable halves will be indicated by way of an electrical circuit. This solution is expensive, and requires specialized parts and tooling for the manufacture of the connector halves.
The present invention seeks to overcome the deficiencies of the prior connectors by providing a CPA which: is of a low manufacturing cost; is highly reliable in its function as a CPA; does not require electrical circuitry in order to perform its function; is insertable from a mating face of a plug housing so that the CPA will be in a first position when the housing members are connected; and is readily adaptable for use with housing latch mechanisms of various configurations. If the CPA becomes loosened during shipping or handling, the header of the present invention is operable to engage and push the loosened CPA to the first position prior to fully mating with the plug housing. This is an advantage for the operator regarding ease of assembly.